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March 15, 1927. 1,621,272

F. l. RAYMOND STURFING Bo'x Filed Apil 24, 1925 l fj @MMM/JMW PatentedMar. 15, 1927.

UNITED STATES FRED I. RAYMOND, 0F RIVER FOREST,

ILLENOS, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAYMOND BROTHERS IMPACT PULVERZER COMPANY, GFCICAGO, ILLINOS, A CORPORA- TION 0F ILLINOIS.

STUFFING BOX.

Application filed April 24, 1925.

My invention relates to a packing or stufting box for revolving orreciprocating shafts, journals, rods, and the like, the term shaft beingused herein to designate this class of machine elements generally; andthe object of the invention is to provide a novel device for effectivelyretaining' a lubricant within and excluding` dirt or foreign matter fromthe bearing yof such shaft; or for providing, for other purposes, areliable and durable packing for the joint between two such relativelymovable machine elen ments, one yof which is contained within or extendsthrough the other. Vhile usable in other connections, the invention isintended more especially for rotating shafts and in this situation anIobject of the invention is to provide a packing which will edect andwill not be injured in cases where there is some side play in the shaft.

The invention is illustrated, in certain preferred embodiments, in theaccompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view ofa rotating shaft and its housing provided with a preferred form ofpacking in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional View on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view, in perspective, of one 4of the spring members forexpanding the paci'- ing member.

Fig. i is a sectional view of the spring member.

F ig. 5 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a modification.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the elastic structure, at one stageof its manufacture, used for expanding the packing member in themodified form of packing shown in Fig. 6, and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view of this structure in its finished form butbefore being inserted into the packing member.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the drawing, 10 designatesa shaft and 11 a housing for the shaft which is shown as providedwith abushing 12.

The `packing is located in a recess 13 of the housing and is retained inplace by any suitable means for example, by an annular plate 1-1 securedto the housing by screws 15.

The packing comprises an annular, flexible packing member 16 made ofleather, or

Serial No. 25,563.

other suitable material, preferably channelshaped in cross section andpreferably in the form of an endless ring, although this is notessential, together with a plurality of U- shaped metallic retainingmembers 17 arranged within member 16. The members 17 are preferablycomposed yof sheet metal bent to the form shown in Figs. 3, l and 5.They are forced into the channel of the packing member 16, being therebybent into the shape indicated in Fig. 1. rl`he members 17 are preferablyarranged one close to the other as indicated in Fig. 2. These retainingmembers need not be, and preferably are not curved to correspond to thecircumferential curvature of the shaft but their width-the dimensionmeasured circumferentially of the shaft-is sufficiently small so thatthey will fit int-o the groove or channel in the packing member. Theyserve to hold'Y the packing member' in close contact with the shaft 10and to prevent said member, which if made of leather or the like, willbecome much softened by the lubricant, from creeping with the shaft. Toconsider a single retaining member, the upper edge 18 of the leg 19 yofthe device which bears on the inner fold 20 of the packing member isrecessed or cut to a curved configuration as shown at 21, this curvaturebeing preferably such'that the edge in question has a line contact withthe packing member as shown in Fig. 2. The curve 21 'does not, however,extend quite to the corners so that points or prongs 22 are providedwhich em bed themselves in the packing member which will yield to thesepoints enough to permit the line contact of edge 21 above referred to.The other leg lof the retaining member might be cut reversely to givealine Contact with the outer fold 23 of the packing member but this doesnot seem to be necessary; and as a matter of convenience, the edges ofboth legs are preferably alike so that the retaining device isreversible. This means that the outer legs 21 bear against the packingmember only at their corners taking perhaps a better anchoring hold 0nthe packing member than would be the case if their upper edges were cuton a reverse curve or were straight. The advantage of the lineengagement of the inner legs with the inner fold of the packing memberis that the packing member is held in more intimate contact with theshaft and is not allowed 'to Wrinkle or gap, whereby the escapo `oflubricant betweenrshaft and packing is better prevented. Eachretainingdevice acts by itself in .a sense. Vlt is self adjusting to thesituation in which it is placed and yields to any stress put upon itsuch as increased load upon or deformation or side play ot the shatt.This unitary operation and the capacity of .the device to yield minimizethe danger of breakage oit the retaining-devices under unusual stressesor yin case, through Wear on bushing l2 l'ooseness and .side play oi theshaft is developed. Any canting or rotary tendency onthe ypart otV theretaining member resalting from the rotation ot the shaft is soli'checkeddueto increased pressure as between diagonally disposed corners.

'In Iligs. V6, 7 and 8 l have shown, inthis vcase in connection Wit-h achannel-shaped packing member, `a different `form of expansion retainingmeans 'consisting of a Acontinuous Wire 25 ybent to the itorm shownfragmentarily, inv perspective, in Fig. 8. That is, the i1Wire -isbentso asfto provide two oppositelyfdisposed sets or spring fingers 26Jforming together a general channel-shaped structure which can bebent-circularly and forced-into-the channel of the packing'member 16.These lingers are pointed at their ends,as indicated at 2'? anch-to acertain extent, tend to bite yinto the Vpacking member,the-structurefbeing sprung or forced into its operative position. Informing 'the retaining device shown in Figsu and 8 the vWire is.first-bent in zigzag fashion, as indicated inFig. 7 This structure isthen bent to fits channel or U form. The modilication of Figs. `6 andfSI regard as-less advantageous than the construction ot the precedingtigures. It, nevertheless, has some of :the desirable' yfeatures yof thepreferred ltorm tir-st described.

The 'invention is susceptibleorn other modiications and itis myintention tocover Iby patent `all modifications of the inventionWithintthe scope of the appended claims.

I `claim:

11. In a shaft packing, the coinbinationfot a :flexible packing .membersurrounding :the shafta.plurality of elastic, substantially U- shapedretainingmembers circumferentially arranged, .Without connection oneWith lthe other, against the packing member to keep the same in properrelation with the shaft.

2. lira shaft packing, the combination ot' a 'channellech flexible'packing member-surrounding the sha-it, and a plurality of separate,independently operating, substantially rU-shaped retaining memberscircumferentially arranged Without connection one With another yWithinthe channel ot the packing member' to keep the same in proper're'lat-ionwith the shaft.

3. In a shaft packing, the combination of 5. A packing comprising,incombination;V

an annular, flexible packing member-chan- 'nel-shaped in cross section,Vand-separate', independently operating, disconnected, coin pressiblemembers lWithin the channel fo'f-y said-- member for expanding thepacking 4member against the machine elements-between which the packingis located.

6. A packing comprising, lin combination,

a flexible lpacking memberchannel-shaped` in Cil cross section, andmeans Within thefchannel of said member :tor expanding the :memberagainst the machine-elements between 'which'.

the packing is located comprising a plurality of reversiblesubstantiallyU#shapedisheet'f met-al spring members, the :end-edgesfofwhich are curved inwardly.

7. A packing comprising, in combination;

an annular, flexible packing member-.channel-shaped in cross section,anda plurality with each other and adaptedto be separately sprung intothe channel `otsaid packing! member.

8. A shait-v packing comprisingfiaflexible Vpacking member, and apluralitylo'fsepas.

rate, reversible, substantially 'tl-shaped spring retaining membershaving legsftaf-engage 'the portion of the tpackingigmember bearing onsaid shaft', the lend edges'of Which legs are curved inwardly.

9. A shaftv packingcomprising a'exible channeled packing :member and:1i-plurality of substantially U-shaped retaining mem-y bers formed fromiiat .spring metal,tlieien'd'v edges of Which are curvedzinwardlybetween the corners :to provide a prongeatfeaclrcorner.

10. vA shaftpackingcomprising a liexi'ble packing member, and faplurality of substantially U-shaped retaining members `formed fromvi'lat springmaterial and .having legs to engage the portion oifthepacking member bearing on saidfshatL-the endedges VQfWlicli legs arecurved betweengthe corners to-fprovide a prong at each corner.

11. In a shat't packing, thegcoinbination ot atlexible'packingmemberchannel-shaped jin cross section surroundinggsad shaft, :and

31005- of spaced, sheet metal spring members Sbent" to substantiallyU-shape Without connection a plurality of substantially U-shapedretaining devices Within the channel of said member comprising side armswhich are n- Wardly bowed toward one another and adapted to bear ontheir ends at opposite inner sides of the packing member, the ends beingcurved to bear with line contact against one flange of the channeledpacking.

12. In a shaft packing, the combination of a flexible packing memberchannel-shaped in cross section, and a plurality of adjacently arrangedU-shaped sheet metal spring members arranged in the channel of saidpacking member, each member being formed from a flat strip bent into aU-shape With the outer leg of the member forming a chord of the largerinner circumference of the channel, and the inner leg beingsubstantially tangent to the smaller circumference of the channel, theend of the inner leg being inwardly curved to permit of a line ContactWith the inner surface of this flange of the channeled packing member.

FRED I. RAYMOND.

